This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Shelving is used extensively for stocking and storing products or merchandise in a variety of stores. Many stores simply employ shelves on which merchandise is stocked. In such stores, if the shelves are not at eye level, it is difficult for the customer to see items being displayed if the items are not located adjacent the front edge of the shelf. Merchants have therefore employed forward feed devices to automatically move an item forward on a shelf, as the item before it is removed. Forward feed devices are usually associated with divider walls that are located on either side of a pusher assembly mounted on a track, i.e., a pusher system, so as to maintain the merchandise in neatly organized columns.
One difficulty that merchants often face, especially when items are pushed to the front of the shelf so as to enhance their visibility, is the problem of theft. The theft of items in retail stores is all too common a problem. Items which are in high demand by thieves include over-the-counter medicines, perfumes, teeth whitening products, razor blades, batteries, DVDs, smoking cessation products and the like. Shelf sweeping is a type of theft which occurs when individuals or groups remove most or all the stock on a shelf and exit the store without paying, similar to a “smash and grab” shoplifting technique. This is a particular problem for small items. Shelf sweeping relies on large quantities of product being readily available on the shelf. While merchants prefer to keep substantial inventory on the shelf in order not to incur labor costs in constantly restocking shelves, the presence of such inventory on the shelf makes it easier for thieves to sweep the shelf.
Retailers are constantly challenged to balance the needs of a legitimate consumer's access to high theft items with attempts to minimize the incidence of theft.
Because theft is so prevalent in certain product categories, many retail stores are taking certain products, such as razors, some over-the-counter medicines and infant formula, off the shelf and placing them behind the counter or under lock and key. If this is done, a customer must request such products from a sales associate. This requires additional labor costs to provide individual service to a customer who otherwise would not need such service. It also makes it difficult for customers to compare products. In addition, the storage of high theft items behind the counter may be problematic as counter space is limited and may be needed for prescription medications and the like. Therefore, a forward feed apparatus which minimizes the incidence of product theft would be desirable.
In addition to preventing theft, retail stores may wish to limit the purchase of certain over-the-counter medicines, such as cold medications, that may have active ingredients that could be misused and may well be addictive.
Studies have shown that a desirable form of theft deterrence is to cause a time delay between the dispensing of multiple products held on a shelf. Would-be thieves are less likely to steal products if there is a substantial delay between the dispensing or vending of a first package and of a subsequent package. While certain time delay vending systems are known, there remains a need for a better designed and simpler product dispenser having a time delay feed device.